He had let his guard down for just a moment.
Yuri was exhausted from the long journey, and upon arriving at the hotel, memories from the past distracted his mind.
So he focused on soothing his weary body and soul by immersing himself completely in the warm bathwater, feeling the comforting heat from head to toe.
That’s why he didn’t notice when someone entered the room.
Beneath the surface, sitting cross-legged and resting, Yuri suddenly caught a faint sound in his ear.
It was humming.
The moment he realized it, his body stiffened.
As the faint melody drew closer, Yuri hoped the tone would deepen.
But contrary to his wish, the humming grew higher in pitch.
And the soft rustling of fabric didn’t sound like men’s clothing.
It was women’s clothing.
Underwear, to be exact.
That meant his reputation was about to hit rock bottom.
Yuri calmly considered the possibilities.
There were two scenarios.
First, the hotel staff had made a mistake and led someone to the wrong room.
In other words, this wasn’t Yuri’s room.
The worst-case scenario.
No one cares about the truth behind an incident. When the party starts, the fireworks explode, and all the glorious achievements he had built would be swept away like a receding tide.
Just imagining that made Yuri feel like crying.
But there was still one more possibility.
Second, the humming person had entered the wrong room by mistake.
In this case, there was a good chance he could get out of this alive.
But he lacked enough information to tell which was true.
What was the wisest course of action?
Fearful of what might happen, Yuri hesitated.
Then a voice echoed in his mind.
“Fear not your enemy.”
That’s right. He was a descendant of Briol. He wasn’t the type to run away just because trouble was looming.
“Act according to your beliefs.”
Recalling the dry skull of an unknown ancestor who had passed down those words, Yuri closed his eyes and slowly surfaced.
Fortunately, his back was to the door.
He spoke.
“I think you’ve come to the wrong room.”
His voice echoed through the bathroom.
There was no hesitation in his tone, as if he was certain this was his room.
The humming stopped.
Silence followed.
Like a whale that had just exhaled a spout before diving back underwater, Yuri slipped beneath the surface again, holding his breath as he waited for the intruder to leave.
Only bubbles floated up to the surface.
Just as it was becoming hard to hold his breath—
“Excuse me…”
The visitor spoke, unwilling to leave.
“This is my room…”
Yuri felt a sinking despair in his chest.
If it was him who had to leave, not her, how much more complicated would this get?
He couldn’t bear the thought of the humiliating process: getting up, drying off, dressing, apologizing, gathering his things, and leaving.
The woman spoke again.
“I think you came in by mistake… I’ll move aside for now…”
Then the bathroom door closed.
Yuri wanted to hold his breath and die right there, but he changed his mind.
If he was going to die, he’d make sure to kill the staff who had led him here wrong first.
He sprang up.
A clean set of clothes—perhaps left by the woman for him to change into—was neatly placed by the door.
Since things had come to this, Yuri quickly finished his bath, dried off with a towel, and dressed. Facing the mirror, he steeled himself.
It was time to face fate.
“Briol never abandons his honor. Even if it costs his life.”
He calmed his mind and resolved to act as composed as possible.
Brushing his wet black hair back, Yuri stepped out of the bathroom.
“Phew…”
He let out a sigh, as if burdened by the awkwardness of the situation.
The man who had tried to drown himself underwater was gone. Only a cold city gentleman, troubled by an unfortunate accident, remained.
He looked up with an indifferent expression—and saw a woman standing by the bed, clutching a robe.
Her stiff expression gradually softened.
Perhaps seeing him as a decent human being had lessened her anger.
Yuri blinked and bowed politely.
“The staff personally showed me to this room, so there must have been a mistake. It was unintentional. I sincerely apologize for the trouble.”
His manners were impeccable. Just as the Briol royal etiquette manual prescribed, he bowed deeply, holding the posture long enough to inhale and exhale, then slowly straightened.
His wet bangs shimmered as they revealed, then concealed, his broad forehead and thick eyebrows.
“I hope my apology eases your mind.”
Yuri offered the gentlest smile he could muster.
The woman, who had been staring blankly, finally found her voice.
“Y-yes…”
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
“Um…”
“Is there something else?”
“Well…”
She hesitated for a moment, then bowed her head deeply.
“You can dry your hair here before you go…”
Thanks to the woman’s kindness, Yuri didn’t have to storm off to complain to the staff, dripping wet.
After tidying his hair in the mirror, he thanked her again.
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“Yes…”
She asked him not to be too harsh on the staff.
“Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. I’m often clumsy myself…”
“I understand. You have a kind heart.”
“No, not really…”
Yuri just wanted to leave quickly.
“Well then, I really must be going.”
He grabbed his luggage and left the room immediately. Whatever warmth had been there earlier vanished, replaced by a devilish glare as he headed for the reception.
The staff bowed so low it seemed his head might touch the floor.
“No, this mistake… I’m truly sorry. Please forgive me… I deserve to be killed…”
Eventually, he even tried to kneel, and Yuri had to pull him up by force.
“Be more careful from now on.”
“Yes. I’m truly sorry. I have no excuse.”
“Luckily, nothing serious happened.”
“Eh?”
“It’s true.”
“Ah, understood.”
Yuri was assigned a new room.
Coincidentally, it was right next door to the woman’s room he had mistakenly entered earlier.
“Hmm…”
It felt unsettling, but there were no other rooms available.
The new room’s layout was identical to the previous one.
After organizing his belongings, Yuri locked the door and sat on the bed.
Strange things had been happening ever since he arrived in the Empire.
“Perhaps it’s only natural after stepping into the lion’s den.”
He tried to lie down and rest for a moment.
But the world wouldn’t leave him alone.
There was a knock at the door.
Yuri sighed deeply and opened it irritably.
To his surprise, it was the owner of the room he had entered by mistake.
She smiled awkwardly.
“I heard some noise and thought it might be you next door…”
“I see.”
“My name is Pamia.”
She looked shy, avoiding his gaze as she fumbled over her words.
“I’m sorry to do this suddenly, but I have a favor to ask…”
“A favor?”
“Actually, maybe it’s not really a favor…”
“What do you mean?”
“Since you saw me… well, it’s a reasonable request…”
“No, I didn’t see anything. I couldn’t, with all the steam…”
“That’s not something you can prove.”
“I swear on my honor.”
“Your honor?”
“My honor is more precious than gold.”
“Ah…”
Pamia looked up at Yuri and smiled.
“You’re Prince Yuri, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I recognized you by your hair. I heard you arrived in the capital…”
On the way to the hotel, Dale had told him that news of Yuri’s arrival in the capital was spreading quickly.
Among the capital’s gossip-loving citizens, Yuri was already a figure of admiration and interest.
That was probably why this woman recognized him.
“Anyway, since you entered a lady’s room without permission…”
“Hmm…”
“I believe you can grant a small favor.”
Yuri reluctantly nodded.
“All right. If it’s something I can do.”
“Then, could you take me out for a bit?”
“What do you mean?”
“I came to the capital and there’s something I really want to try, but I’m scared to go alone…”
“What is it?”
“Basregas…”
She said it so quietly that Yuri almost didn’t catch it.
“I want to go to Basregas, but I’m a bit nervous to go alone…”
Yuri’s eyes widened.
He had forgotten for a moment.
Basregas, the continent’s greatest casino, was located right here in the capital. Its grand scale was said to rival that of many kingdoms’ castles.
“Basregas…!”
“Don’t you dislike casinos?”
Pamia asked softly. Yuri answered as if entranced.
“No, I actually like them.”
“Oh, really?”
In the past, Hernando had told him about seeing Basregas in Erich’s dungeon. It was a dream stage that any gambler would want to visit at least once.
Yuri felt the same.
“If it’s just a quick visit…”
The continent’s top gamblers gathered there to bet their fates, with the winner taking all.
Who wouldn’t want to see that?
He still had time before meeting Dale in the evening.
Yuri nodded.
“I suppose I have no choice. Let’s go.”
The continent’s greatest casino was located on the outskirts of the capital.
They traveled by carriage.
Even in broad daylight, the signs flashed conspicuously. The amount of magic crystals poured into the casino’s exterior lighting made it brighter than the sun.
The coachman stopped the horses.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Thank you.”
Yuri stepped down and stretched his arms toward Basregas, letting out a breath filled with awe.
“So this is the scent of Basregas.”
“I think the prince likes it even more than I do…”
“I only came because I had no choice—it was a favor.”
“Y-yes…”
Yuri stepped inside.
Unlike the outside, the interior was dimly lit.
A man dressed in a tuxedo appeared and greeted her. Despite his polite demeanor, his accessories were flashy.
“Welcome to the prince’s casino. I am the manager of Basregas. May I personally guide you?”
Every time he smiled, the ornate piercings on his ears and eyebrows clinked together.
Yuri shrugged.
“It’s as if you were expecting me.”
“That’s not it. I recognized you the moment you stepped down from the carriage.”
“You already know who I am?”
“The Third Prince of Briole is quite famous.”
The manager glanced cautiously at Pamia and asked softly.
“And this is…?”
Yuri didn’t know anything about her besides her name. She answered with a subtle look, and Pamia whispered quietly.
“She’s just part of my group…”
The manager nodded with a smile.
“Understood. And Your Highness?”
“Hmm?”
The manager leaned in close and whispered just loud enough for Yuri to hear.
“I will keep this beautiful lady’s identity a secret.”
Yuri tilted her head, puzzled by his sudden mention of a secret.
The manager smiled mysteriously and added,
“Nothing about this will reach the Princess of the Holy Kingdom. Heh heh heh…”
Yuri suddenly remembered something she had momentarily forgotten.
He had lied about dating Sibylla to refuse Ragna’s matchmaking.
And that rumor had already spread—this city was really nosy.
Yuri shook her head.
“We’re not like that.”
“Y-yes, of course. By the way, I never imagined the prince would come accompanied by such a stunning lady. Truly a beauty. Ha ha ha…”
His tone was growing increasingly disrespectful, and Yuri was about to stop him when he suddenly pulled something out.
A mask that covered half the face.
It radiated magical energy.
“Our casino values customer privacy above all else. We provide these to those who need them. Of course, only to esteemed guests.”
The mask was an artifact to conceal one’s identity.
“Would you like one, miss?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“Of course. Such beauty is a shame to hide. Heh heh…”
Yuri tried on the mask. It covered her eyes and nose, changing the color of her irises and hair.
The manager smiled oddly and ushered them inside.
Just before parting ways, he whispered quietly to Yuri.
“If you need a private space, just say the word. Everything that happens in Basregas stays here.”
Then he revealed his neck.
A magical tattoo was etched there.
“Even if I had a mouth, I wouldn’t be able to speak. So don’t worry. Heh heh heh…”
It was a binding spell to prevent anyone from revealing what happened inside the casino.
Under the sparkling lights, his smile had a strangely decadent air.
Yuri frowned.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Understood. Heh heh…”
Not wanting to engage further, Yuri turned away.
Inside Basregas, various gambling games were laid out by type. Trying each one would take an entire day.
“There are so many kinds.”
“They’re all just the usual stuff. The real game is cards.”
But Yuri only liked one.
And it seemed Pamia felt the same.
“Um, Your Highness, do you know how to play cards?”
“Of course.”
“Then let’s go play together.”
“You know how to play?”
“Of course.”
Pamia smiled shyly and grabbed Yuri’s arm, pulling her along.
“I’m pretty good. You might lose to me today.”
The manager had called her a great beauty, but Yuri didn’t notice any of that.
Sibylla and Marirose, tangled up in all this, were the same. They were certainly attractive, but Yuri felt no spark.
Had she become numb from seeing too much beauty for too long?
She sighed.
Not exactly a pleasant symptom.
But this time, it worked to her advantage.
“Why are you walking so slowly? Hurry up and play! Hehe…”
Thanks to that, she could see through this woman’s act.